Naming Greenleaf
by ScribeofHeroes
Summary: When Lathwinn insisted he receive one right away, Thranduil named their baby.
1. Chapter 1

**I neither created nor own Thranduil, Greenwood the Great, Middle Earth, Valinor, the War of the Ring, nor any other creation of J. R. R. Tolkien's. I did create Lathwinn the Great.**

 **This story is for entertainment purposes only so please read and be entertained. :)**

Lathwinn melted back into her pillows with a sigh. The other elves in the room, besides the one sleeping on her chest, drifted away with soft smiles. The sun began to rise outside. Light drifted through the window and into the earthen room after passing around the branches of a tree dotted with tiny, folded leaves. There was a chill breeze coming in as well, but otherwise it was a warm day for early spring.

A head popped out from behind the wall of the outer room. Two ice-blue eyes met her gaze. "Is it safe?"

Lathwinn nabbed one of her pillows and threw it at Thranduil. He darted back to evade the projectile. She slumped back into her other pillows. She had plenty. They always made certain she did at these times. "You know quite well I am always 'safe' throughout the process, husband!"

The ellon stepped fully into the room. He tucked his left arm behind his back, but held his right hand out toward her. Its fingers had a slight purple tinge to them. Without a twitch appearing on his pale face, he continued in a low, soft tone. "My hand disagrees with you."

Lathwinn threw another pillow at him, but he only dodged it with a smile and stepped closer. The form on his wife's chest gave a displeased "mew."

Lathwinn curled up around the tiny one and broke into soothing coos and apologies. Thranduil came over and knelt down beside them. He placed his hands, folded, on the bedside and his chin upon his hands. He heaved a sigh. "Ah, once more another had taken my wife's full attention from me and in our own bed no less ..."

Lathwinn turned narrowed eyes and a wrinkled nose upon him. The edges of his mouth tipped up into a smile at her. She huffed at him and leaned back again keeping careful hold of the weight on her chest. "You annoy me with distinct purpose, Thranduil, and then our infant pays the price."

"Our third son is well, Lathwinn. In fact, he is more than well. He is a 'perfectly healthy, elven infant' as the midwife and her assistants tell me."

Lathwinn gazed back at Thranduil with narrowed eyes. "Yes. I heard you asking them if he wasn't 'too small.'"

"Well, after you gave birth to Beldoron, who could blame me?"

"When he was born you asked them if 'he' was 'too large'!"

"Well, after you gave birth to Tirnhael before him, who could blame me?"

Lathwinn smacked her king with another pillow. He dodged down, softening the blow. Their baby began to mew again at the disturbance. Lathwinn started the cooing and soothing process all over again. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, eyes twinkled, and face glowed as she gazed down at her child. "He is perfect isn't he Thranduil?"

Thranduil crossed his arms on their bed and rested his chin upon them with a grin. "Other than the size difference, I would say he looks similar to his brothers at this stage."

Lathwinn smacked her husband again, with the same pillow this time. Even her supply wasn't endless. This time she had kept it within easy reach. So, she didn't disturb the babe sleeping on her chest. He did stir slightly at her loud words. "'He' has 'your' hair!"

Thranduil had ducked, but peered back up again to examine his son with an even wider grin. "Aye, he does." He ran his finger over a patch of the pale down on the side of his son's head. "Hair of Doriath I believe."

"Not warm-golden like Beldoron's, or deep red-brown like mine and Tirnhael's, pale golden, almost white, like yours." Lathwinn tilted her head as her eyes continued to study him. "I believe he still has much Silvan in him though."

"Ah." Thranduil rose, strolled around to his side of the bed, sat down and then stretched out upon it. "What would he be without it?"

"You."

Thranduil furrowed his brows above his closed eyes and replied in a mild voice. "Wife, I'm hurt."

A silence followed, which was comfortable at first. Then instead of remaining lax it stretched and tensed. Thranduil opened his eyes and rose up on his elblows turning toward his wife. Propped up on her pillows, she was staring out the door into their outer room, and tears were gathering in her eyes. Thranduil lowered and softened his voice to a coo. "Lathwinn?"

"My brothers ... They would have either visited or been bothering the mid-wives by now."

Thranduil swallowed a groan of pain. He turned over and drew her and their new son into his arms. Then he pulled them up against his chest. She sobbed a bit into him while he rubbed her head and back while crooning to her. The little one turned his face up and mewed again. Thranduil tried to calm his son by looking him in the eye hoping neither of them would disturb his mother. Finally, Lathwinn pulled away. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I just ... it's been so long since ... I've moved so far forward now ... but ..."

"This is the first birth without them. Missing their presence is to be expected."

Lathwinn wriggled to sit up straighter again. She looked back down at their son. "What shall we name him?"

Thranduil lifted an eyebrow at the change of course, but followed after her. "Thranduilion?"

Lathwinn turned a scowl upon him. He lifted his other eyebrow as well. "Lathwinnion?"

She smacked him with a pillow again, but then leaned back into him. "He deserves a name all his own."

"And he shall have it, but you know despite you and your brothers attempts our other two only got their names after they were standing, walking, and speaking. We had to learn of their 'naming traits' first."

Lathwinn tossed her hair back. Her eyes flashed. "I want to call him something of his own sooner than that, long before the year has passed. He deserves it."

As she settled back against him, Thranduil rolled his eyes over his wife's head. Than he looked out the window with her. There outside, an "infant-leaf" unfurled for the first time in the light of the morning sun. As the light streamed through their window and over them, Thranduil fell silent. Then he spoke. "Legolas ..."

Lathwinn titled her head back and looked up into her husband's face. "What?"

"Greenleaf ... His name should be Greenleaf- Legolas."

Lathwinn's eyes squinted in amusement. "Is such a name not a bit too obvious for one born in 'Greedwood the Great'?"

Thranduil shook his head. "No ... Tis the perfect name for him. After a long winter, during which some who knew no better might have believed that tree dead, a green leaf breaks forth from it in the sunlight of a new dawn, a new spring. Greenleaf. Legolas. His name is Legolas."

Lathwinn was crying again, this time silently. She looked down and nodded over the sleeping head of her son. "Yes, his name is Legolas."

 **Here then is my idea of how Legolas got his name. What do you think? :)**

 **Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to.**

 **God Bless all of you!**

 **ScribeofHeroes**


	2. Chapter 2

**I neither created nor own Thranduil, Legolas, Greenwood the Great, Middle Earth, nor any other creation of J. R. R. Tolkien's. I did create Lathwinn, Beldoron, and Tirgol.**

 **This story is for entertainment purposes only so please read and be entertained. :)**

Honey-gold hair nearly brushed the ceiling of an underground hall of Greenwood the Great. The broad shoulders beneath caused another ellon to stay one step ahead of their bearer, so the two would not brush the walls striding side by side. A crown of interwoven branches graced the brow of this leader. The circlet almost matched his locks, which were red-brown like the underside of tree-bark.

The honey-haired ellon had donned an emerald blue tunic. The other was garbed in emerald green. From beneath both tunics emerged billowing sleeves whiter than clouds.

The pair paused before a door. An elleth opened it. Her lips were pursed, but twitched upwards at the corners. Her brows were drawn together over sparkling eyes.

The broader ellon blinked back tears. His grin wavered, yet broadened. His booming voice shook. "We are here to see our brother."

The elleth allowed her lips to twitch up into a full smile. She stood aside. The crowned ellon entered first. He had to step quick, for the other's longer strides nearly landed on his heels. They both hastened through the outer room into the inner.

There their father sat upon the edge of his bed. He wore a crown greater than his eldest son's with branches already budding. He turned, showing shoulders nearly as broad as his second son's. While the younger ellon's hair shone bright and warm, his father's gleamed pale and cold. The King looked up at his sons from his seat upon the mattress. Then he smiled and rose revealing his wife. She had been sitting cross-legged beside him.

Lathwinn's elder son resembled her much in face, except his was longer like Thranduil's. Her second-born had a square face like hers, but now dwarfed she who had once carried him within her. Both gave their king a quick nod of respect before approaching their mother. They each went down upon one knee before her.

With a smug grin, Lathwinn lowered the bundle she was holding. The treasure was wrapped in a blanket white as their shirts. The two sons of Thranduil bent over to peer within.

A tiny face was revealed. Pinkish skin wrinkled here and there. A mouth puckered beneath closed eyes. The babe sucked a finger in sleep. His eldest brother's eyes widened. "Why he has Adar's hair!"

A growl came from his side. "Is that so marvelous, brother?"

Tirgol glanced first at his glaring brother and then up to see his mother arching an eyebrow at him. He gave her a polite smile. "My apologies, Nanneth. He is lovely."

Lathwinn's largest son ceased glaring at his brother to meet her gaze with a grin. "More than lovely."

Lathwinn raised both eyebrows, but smiled as she straightened her back before nodding. "Thank you for your opinions, my sons."

Beldoron grinned as he bent over the bundle again. "How soon can we play with him?"

Lathwinn arched an eyebrow again. "Not for a few months yet."

Her eldest stared down at her youngest again. "He is smaller than Beldoron was. I thought he was born on time. Was he early after all?"

Lathwinn lifted her face to the ceiling and groaned. Thranduil smirked. Beldoron ceased grinning upon his younger brother to glare upon his elder once more. "What? Do you think he must grow up to be as big as me? You did not."

Lathwinn tilted her head back down to smile upon Beldoron. "Indeed ioneg. He was both born on time and his proper size. I think he shall not even be as tall as Tirgol. He may remain short as I."

Beldoron's eyebrows flew up. "Oh." He looked back down into the face of the babe. "Sorry, little one."

Lathwinn glared, but Tirgol spoke as he continued to stare at his new brother. "So, do we call him Thranduilion or Lathwinion?"

Lathwinn smiled. "Neither ... at least not often. We have already named him Legolas."

Both elder brothers looked up to stare at her. Tirgol spoke first. "Legolas ... Greenleaf?"

Beldoron interrupted. "Perhaps you should give this name-choosing more time, Nanneth."

Lathwinn scowled. Before she could do more, Thranduil interrupted. His voice was low, yet resonated throughout the room. "No. His name is Legolas. Greenleaf. For he has come from that which was called 'dead-wood' and was not."

Lathwinn smiled softly, but closed her eyes as a tear left one. She bent her head and swallowed. Beldoron leaned forward and placed his large hand on her small shoulder, engulfing it. He gave a gentle squeeze. His voice also lowered, but softened. "Of course. He is Legolas."

Lathwinn looked up again with a wider smile. Her eldest looked back down upon her youngest with a brisk nod. "Just so."

 **This came to me after I posted the first chapter, so I decided to add it. Though they've been in my vision of Green Wood the Great from nearly the beginning,** **Legolas' brothers hardly get to do anything in these stories. I thought you might like to get to know them a bit. :)**

 **Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to.**

 **God Bless all of you!**

 **ScribeofHeroes**


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